Business Details

Full description and what we offer

Alaska Gunsite operates as a research and educational platform dedicated to understanding firearm and ammunition performance through mathematical analysis rather than conventional gunwriting. Founded on principles established by Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper and other ballistics experts, the site provides concrete data and forecasting tools for serious students of bullet performance.

Instead of relying on kinetic energy calculations or vague "rules of thumb," Alaska Gunsite uses a momentum-based comparison formula:

Relative Performance Potential (RPP) = (Bullet Weight × Velocity at Target) / 10,000

This approach provides: - Cartridge-to-cartridge comparisons in relative terms - Forecasting of suitable game weights for different animal conditions (calm, alert, or charging) - Actual performance potential rather than theoretical predictions

The site provides mathematical tools for calculating:

Metric	Application
Penetration (PEN)	Depth in solid muscle for different bullet types
Permanent Wound Channel (PWC)	Crush cavity diameter at different points along bullet path
Exit Wound Analysis	Determining velocity and energy retention at exit
Brain Shot Calculations	Maximum body weight for precision head shots

Wound channel volume can be calculated using truncated cone and cylinder formulas to settle exit vs. no-exit debates with actual tissue damage comparisons.

The resource includes performance data for dozens of cartridges with notation like this example:

45-70 Govt (405gr @ 1350fps) = 54.7/2992/2094/1466 LBS

This means: - RPP of 54.7 - 2,992 lbs suitable for calm/resting animal (heart/lung shot) - 2,094 lbs morally acceptable for alert animal (50-yard kill range) - 1,466 lbs for charging animal (frontal/stopping shot)

Other cartridges evaluated include: - .45 ACP (230gr @ 850fps): 19.6 RPP - .223 Remington (55gr @ 3000fps): 16.5 RPP - .308 Winchester (180gr @ 2600fps): 46.8 RPP - 6.5 × 54mm (160gr @ 2400fps): 38.4 RPP - .458 Weatherby Magnum (500gr @ 1950fps): 97.5 RPP - .357 Magnum (158gr @ 1400fps heavy handload): 22.1 RPP - .375 H&H Magnum (270gr @ 2750fps): 74.3 RPP

The site's PWC formula reveals a critical insight: bullets retain most velocity throughout the wound channel and only seriously decelerate in the final 10% of travel. After traveling 90% of the wound channel length, a bullet still carries 43% of its initial velocity—explaining why exit wounds from premium ammunition often appear larger than expected despite the bullet's deep penetration.

Alaska Gunsite settles the long-running gunwriter debate through mathematical analysis:

Maximum killing potential exists when the highest sustained velocity possible is maintained the entire distance through the animal. This results in the largest amount of tissue damage and fastest death possible.

Exit wounds also provide blood trails for tracking, reducing lost game.

The resource answers perennial shooting industry questions with data: - Why does the 45-70 outperform the .224 Weatherby Magnum for brown bears despite equal kinetic energy? - Why do African PHs trust solid bullets despite gunwriters calling them "zip-through" rounds? - Which is better for elk: .270 Winchester or .30-06? - Can a .35 Remington reliably stop coastal brown bears? (Judge Folta did it repeatedly.) - How does the .357 Magnum compare to the .45 ACP in terminal performance?

All calculations use velocity-deceleration curves derived from field reports and ballistic gelatin testing. The formulas account for: - Bullet weight retention percentages - Terminal diameter and meplat size - Coefficient of resistance in muscle tissue - Expansion characteristics of premium ammunition - Special treatment for partition-style and fragmenting bullets

The methodology uses curve-fitting (Galilean description) rather than theoretical explanations (Aristotelian philosophy), providing practical forecasting tools rather than unproven hypotheses.

Alaska Gunsite includes: - Cooper Letter documentation - Terminal ballistics calculation software - Appendices with penetration and PWC data - Graphical wound channel models - Field-tested loadings and performance records

The site serves shooters, hunters, and ballistics students who prefer data over marketing claims.